I Remember You
by illrain666
Summary: post x3.
1. Chapter 1

I Remember You

He couldn't quite remember who she was at first. After all, it had been years since he had left the Institute and, except for Bobby and Rogue, he had had no other friends when he had still been a student there. He almost asked her for her name a few times but he always thought better of it. She didn't strike him as a particularly chatty sort of girl, especially with fugitive members of the Brotherhood. So he just watched her, and tried to remember.

As best as he could reckon, the X-Men had been keeping him in this room for a week, maybe two. The last thing he recalled was Alcatraz disintegrating around him and, the next time he opened his eyes, he was a prisoner. He screamed and cursed for days. Then he attacked Bobby when the Iceman came to see him. When he was beaten back, he took a fork from his meal tray and stabbed himself in the throat. He didn't cause any serious damage, however, so he lived and Storm made the decision to put him in restraints. That enraged him further, and he tried to kill himself again by bashing his head against the walls. Bobby and Wolverine stopped him in time before he cracked his skull and a huge, furry blue guy dosed him with something that made him calm down.

He stopped eating then. It got to the point where Storm herself tried to spoon-feed him, she was that worried, but, even with the unnatural stillness caused by the drugs, he remained difficult. One day, he spat oatmeal on her face and she left the room crying. Both Logan and Hank McCoy kept trying to convince her to give him up, he was a lost cause, but she wouldn't be swayed. It seemed that with the deaths of Professor Xavier, Mr. Summers and Miss Grey, Storm was determined to save anyone she could still help, even if that person had been her enemy.

They were discussing methods of intravenous feeding already when Rogue stepped in. She had been more or less hiding in her room all that time since taking the cure, refusing to see anyone, even Logan. Then one day she just appeared during a meeting of the other X-Men and she finally learned about his condition. She didn't say a word. She just took some food and went to see him.

"Pyro."

He stared at her like he didn't recognize her. She crouched in front of him and reached out a bare hand to touch his face. He didn't flinch when her skin came into contact with his. When nothing happened after several minutes, his expression twisted.

"Why -," his voice was a harsh croak, " – why aren't you punishing me? Why -?"

She wouldn't meet his eyes. "I got cured," she admitted, sounding almost shamed.

"I – I think I'm also –"

"No." She shook her head. "You still have your power."

He started to shake and bang the back of his head against the wall. "Still have it," he mumbled. "Still here. In me. Inside me. It's still here." He suddenly screamed. He struggled against his restraints, his body convulsing violently. He managed to kick her away from him and she grunted in pain. Bobby and Logan were there in an instant while Mr. McCoy injected him with more drugs.

When he was quiet, she went back to his side. There were tears in her eyes. "John," she whispered his name, whispered it the way she used to late at night in the darkness of her room. "John. I'm sorry. Forgive me. I'm sorry for letting you go. I'm so sorry."

But he wouldn't look at her anymore. Bobby tried to help her up but she pulled away from him. "Don't touch me!" She stood up unsteadily. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she ran out of the room.

After that, things got a bit better. He was still furious and depressed but he started eating again. They took turns bringing him his meals; Bobby, Rogue, that big guy who could turn into steel, a guy with _wings_, for fuck's sake, then the silent girl. None of them helped him eat, however; he had to do that himself, which became easier once they traded the straitjacket for good old-fashioned manacles. Whenever Bobby came around, he made sure to always make a big mess which the iceprick _always_ cleaned up without a single complaint, something that just pissed him off more. The two other guys he would just ignore. Rogue, though – there were too many things unspoken between them, but he knew she knew. She had absorbed all the dark secret thoughts, the whispered confessions, the fevered dreams, along with his powers when she had stopped him from killing those policemen back at Bobby's house, a lifetime ago.

Then there was the girl. It all finally clicked into place for him one day when she came in bearing his food, and she just passed right through the door before it could open all the way for her.

"You're the girl who can walk through walls," he suddenly blurted out.

She blinked, surprised that he had spoken to her. "Excuse me?"

"I remember you now," he said. "You used to follow me and Bobby around school like an annoying little shadow, getting us into trouble with the teachers whenever we teased you."

For some reason, she blushed. "H-here's your food." She set the tray in front of him then went to sit on her usual chair in a corner of the room. She looked everywhere but at him for the next thirty minutes as he ate. When he was finished, she got the tray and headed out of the room.

At the door, she suddenly stopped and looked back at him. There was an expression in her eyes that he didn't understand. It was only there for a second then it was gone.

"I remember you," she told him softly. "It was my first day in school and I was completely lost. You were running in the hallway then you crashed into me. You told me to watch where I was going. But, when I started to cry, you helped me pick up my books. You could still be kind then. What happened to you, John?"

And she left him alone thinking of the answer to her question.


	2. Chapter 2

I Remember You

They just stared at each other.

"You still won't talk to me?" Rogue asked. He didn't reply and she sighed. "Is it because I took the cure?" She looked at her hands, the skin pale from the years that she wore gloves to protect others from her deadly mutation. She thought that they looked stupid, her hands with their bare skin and their _normality. _"It feels weird, you know," she told him. "Like something's been cut off from me. But I can still feel it, inside, crawling beneath, like worms." She suddenly looked angry as she stared at him. "Don't you have anything to say? Talk to me, damn it!" Furious now, she slapped him. "Say something!" she screamed right in his face.

He met her gaze directly. "What do you want me to say?" he asked, sounding very tired.

"I don't know." She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Why are you here? Why do you come here every day? What do you want from me?" He didn't look like he cared what her answer would be, though.

"I want to understand," she whispered. "Nothing makes sense anymore. I always thought I would do anything – just to touch someone again. Now I can, and I just _hate _it. I hate it. It makes me feel weak and small and I hate it. I hate it!"

He laughed. She glared at him.

"That's why you're here then?" he asked. "Because you've found out something about you that's dark and twisted and you figured that someone like me would understand it? Didn't want to let perfect little Bobby know that side of you, huh? What would he feel if he found out that it makes you sick every time he touches you? What would he think if he knew that you wished you could just suck the life out of him?"

"It's not like that!" she denied hotly. "I don't want to hurt anyone!"

"Don't you? Then what are you doing here with me? I don't have anything for you, Marie." He said her name with bitterness. "I don't have anything left."

"You don't mean that."

He turned away from her. "Would you just leave?" he said after a long silence. "Please, leave. I don't want to see you."

She looked like she wanted to argue but, instead, she stayed quiet. She waited for a few more minutes and, when he continued to ignore her presence, she finally left. She made her way to Storm's office.

"How long are we going to keep him a prisoner here?" she asked abruptly.

Storm sighed. "As long as we have to," she answered. "Hank is working with the government right now, trying to formulate some kind of agreement with them that would give us legal custody of Pyro."

"So, they know we have him here right now?"

"Actually, no. If and when we get that agreement, we will be authorized to capture and detain him. That's the time that we will be informing them that we have him. The X-Men will then be in charge of his rehabilitation."

"And why are you going to all this trouble for him now?" Rogue wondered. "When he ran off with Magneto before, I don't remember any of you trying half as hard to get him back then. Isn't it a little too late for all this concern?"

Her words seemed to strike Storm like a blow. "Rogue, I know we've made mistakes," she said slowly. "One of them was letting John go. But I intend to rectify that. We are going to help him."

"How? How are we going to help him? Have you seen him? He's so – I don't even know who he is anymore."

"Then the more reason for us to help him. I'm hoping – I have to believe that we can help him." Her voice faltered for a moment. "We've saved so many people. But what does it matter if we can't even save the ones truly important to us?" She looked away from Rogue and composed herself. "Please, Marie," she said. "You were his friend. We've failed him once before."

She nodded. "I know."

Rogue walked back to her room with her mind in chaos. She had no idea what she was doing and what she wanted to do. Since getting the cure and since learning that Pyro was back in the mansion, she had been confused. Except that this confusion wasn't brought on by the presence of the other personalities in her head as she was used to. Oh, no. This time, it was all her. _Only_ her.

"Hey."

She was startled to find Bobby sitting on her bed, waiting for her.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, his eyes begging her to confide in him.

"Bobby," she sighed, "not now."

"When? _When, _Rogue?" he demanded. "What's happened to us? Why aren't we talking anymore? Was it something I did? Tell me, please."

"No! No," she shook her head. "It's me. It's me, Bobby." She collapsed at his feet, tears suddenly spilling from her eyes. "I'm falling apart," she whispered in agony. "I feel like I'm breaking, and I'll crumble if I move."

"It's okay." He pulled her into his arms. "It's okay." He was crying now, too. "I love you." He kissed her rather desperately. "I love you."

"No, you don't!" she screamed. She pushed him away. "You don't. How can you? I'm nothing. I'm just nothing!"

"Rogue, please!" He tried to reach for her again but she moved away from him in a panic, her eyes wide with terror at something that only she could see. She scuttled into a corner of the room and peered at him through the dark curtain of her hair.

"I don't want to hurt you, Bobby," she said, her voice uneven. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"Then why are you doing this now?" he asked her. "You're hurting me now."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Her entire body trembled with her sobs.

"I'll stay here," he promised. "I'm staying right here."

He watched her helplessly as she cried.


	3. Chapter 3

I Remember You

Kitty Pryde threw back her blanket and sat up in bed. It was another one of those sleepless nights and she was feeling very frustrated. She glanced over at her roommate sleeping across from her and she sighed. For a moment, she was almost tempted to wake the other girl just to have someone to talk to. There were a lot of things on her mind and she needed a friend who could help her sort out some of them.

She had been in a war. She had seen and done things that most other people her age could only imagine. It was hard to believe that she had gone through the horror that was Alcatraz during the day when it was bright and she could pretend that she was still the same girl she had been. But, at night, the darkness and the silence brought back the memories she would much rather forget.

Feeling suffocated, she got out of bed and left the room. She made her way slowly to the kitchen. She had the layout of the place memorized so she didn't even bother to turn on the light as she got a glass of cold water and drank it over the sink. Her eyes stared out blindly through the window at the unlit grounds of the school.

The sudden illumination startled her. She turned and saw Peter Rasputin standing by the kitchen's door, his hand still on the light switch. He looked equally startled when he saw her.

"Kitty?" He frowned. "What were you doing here in the dark?"

She held up the empty glass. "Drinking water."

"You couldn't sleep?" he asked kindly.

"Yeah," she nodded. "You?"

"I couldn't sleep, either. Then I wanted some ice cream," he admitted with a little smile. He went to the refrigerator and took out a pint. "Would you like some?" he offered.

"No, not really. Thanks, though."

She watched as he got a spoon and sat down at the table then began to eat. He blushed a bit self-consciously under her gaze. "Are – are you sure you don't want some?" he stammered.

"No." She shook her head and shrugged. "Well, I better get back to bed. Good night, Peter."

His voice stopped her halfway to the door. "Kitty?" She looked back at him. "Is everything all right?" The expression on his face was one of genuine concern.

"Yes," she answered. "It's fine." She left before he could see in her eyes that she was lying.

She wandered along the darkened hallways of the mansion till she had reached the girls' quarters. One of the doors opened and she saw Bobby Drake step out of Rogue's room. They stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence for an instant and then she tried to walk past him. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the arm.

"Kitty, wait!" he whispered urgently. "Please, can I -?"

She looked into his eyes. "You don't owe me any explanations, Bobby," she told him quietly.

His hand dropped to his side. He nodded. "Yeah," he whispered. "I don't."

"Is – is Rogue okay?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "I haven't seen her much."

"She's having a hard time," he confided, "dealing with being cured and everything. I'm scared that she's going to try to hurt herself, Kitty." And the fear was very evident in his tone.

"No. No, she wouldn't do that. She knows you're there to help her through this. She just needs time to adjust, I guess," she assured him.

"I hope so. God, I hope so! I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her." His eyes glistened with tears which he quickly wiped away. "I love her."

"I know you do." She reached out a hand hesitantly then gave him a comforting pat on the arm. "Do you want me to walk you back to your room?" she suggested, feeling like she had to do something for him. He looked so sad.

He actually smiled at the thought, the tears forgotten for the moment. "No. I'm all right. I think I want some ice cream, though."

"Comfort food," she smiled a little, too. "Well, Peter's in the kitchen with the same idea and I'm sure he'll appreciate your company."

"You're not coming with me?"

"Thanks, but no. I'd rather go back to bed."

"Okay. I'll see you." He kissed her on the forehead, a brother's kiss. "Thank you, Kitty."

"You're welcome," she said softly. She watched him leave then she walked back to her room.

After classes the next morning, she had Pyro duty. She wasn't looking forward to it. He deeply unnerved her. Every time she came to bring him his meals, she felt him watching her, studying her intensely. She had the feeling that maybe he was looking for weaknesses.

As he ate, his eyes never once left her face. She finally had had enough of it. "Would you stop that?" she snapped.

"Stop what?"

"Stop staring at me."

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked, still staring.

"You know you are."

"There's nothing to do here, damn it!" he suddenly exploded. "I'm bored!"

"You're not a guest here," she reminded him a bit cruelly.

"That's fucking obvious!" He rattled his manacles with impotent fury. "You self-righteous X-Men bastards! Traitors to your own kind, every single one of you!"

"And what kind is that, Pyro?" she challenged. "People who care about other people? People who want to make the world better for everyone? _Those_ people are the traitors?"

"No. Those people are _fools_. You really believe that everyone is created equal? There is a reason why the humans call us _homo superior. _That's because we're better than they are, stronger. We're meant to rule the world."

She scoffed. "You really believe that, don't you? What other genocidal propaganda did Magneto brainwash you with?"

He didn't reply to that, but his face hardened with anger.

"You're sick, Pyro," she continued, looking completely disgusted with him. "You've become a monster. Bobby should have left you to die in Alcatraz."

"Get out," he said, his voice a low growl. Then he shouted, "Get out, you stupid bitch! Get out!" He suddenly threw his meal tray at her and she was so surprised that she forgot to phase. Food splattered on her suit.

Without another word, she was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

I Remember You

Rogue was very quiet the whole time they explained things to her. Henry McCoy was the one doing the explaining, but Logan was there, too, along with Storm.

"You have to be very sure, Marie," he told her patiently, "that you do want this. It's going to change your life once more."

"But I'll get it back," she said. "I'll have my powers again."

"It's not guaranteed, though," Storm spoke up. "There's every likelihood that the effects of the cure cannot be reversed. But we will do what we can for you, if you really want to have your powers back. Warren Worthington has already promised to help us with this. All he needs is a blood sample from you and he can get his scientists to start working on it immediately."

"Of course," she nodded. "I want it. I do. I'll give him all the blood in my body if I have to!"

"Marie, you really know what you're saying?" Logan was looking at her worriedly. "You won't be able to touch anyone again. You can't get close to people again. Can you really live like that?"

"I did it before," she reminded him. He was silent. She turned her attention back to Mr. McCoy. "When does it all start?" she asked anxiously.

"If you're ready, I can take the blood sample now," he said.

"Do it."

When Bobby learned about what had happened, he was hurt and angry. "What were you thinking, Rogue?" he demanded. "I – I can't believe that you would do this!"

"I haven't done anything yet!" she defended herself. "But if those scientists find a way to give me my powers back, then I'm gonna grab that chance! Don't you understand, Bobby? I am miserable without my powers! I feel I've lost myself and I can't go on like this! I'll die!"

"What about me? I love you and I wanna be with you!" He grabbed her and shook her. "I want to have a life with you! Damn it, Marie! What about me? Do you even love me anymore?"

She crumpled in his arms and started to cry. "Of course, I love you," she admitted weakly. "You saved me. You loved me, - and I never thought that anyone would. And I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, but I don't love you enough to do this for you. I won't be less than I am for you."

He looked like she had struck him. He let go of her.

"Bobby?" She tried to reach for him but he pushed her away roughly. "Bobby, please! Listen to me! Try to understand, please!"

"Don't. There's nothing you can say." He sounded hollow.

Bobby avoided her from then on. She let him, and she didn't try to force a confrontation between them since she felt too ashamed. She knew that she had wounded him deeply but she couldn't lie to him about her true feelings. He deserved her honesty at the very least, after all that they had meant to each other. She could only hope that he would learn to forgive her eventually.

During this particularly difficult time, the person she wanted to talk to about all of it was Pyro. No. Not Pyro but John Allerdyce. Her friend, John. She knew that he would understand why she wanted her powers back so badly. The two of them were a lot alike, even before she absorbed some of his energy and she got his personality stuck inside her mind. But she also knew that he would hate talking to her. Because he had been in love with her, and that had played no small part in his decision to leave them all behind years ago.

After he left, that was when she finally realized that she had been a little in love with him, too. John was exactly like the element he had control over: he _was_ fire, with his rage and his volatility, yet he also had warmth and passion. He was alive in a way that other people weren't and that had drawn her to him.

So when she learned that Bobby had rescued him from the wreckage of Alcatraz and had brought him back to the mansion, she thought that there was finally one person who could help her make sense out of it all. One person who would understand the feeling of loss that was threatening to consume her. She really thought that she could get her old friend back. Then she saw what had become of him.

He wasn't her friend. He wasn't the same boy she remembered, the boy who had left a piece of himself with her. When she looked into his eyes, she saw that boy was dead. His own fire had killed him.

And her world was a little colder because of it.


	5. Chapter 5

I Remember You

Storm called for a meeting a few days later. They had an important matter to discuss regarding their prisoner.

After Hank McCoy had argued and presented his case, the government had agreed to let the X-Men have custody over Pyro. He was going to be rehabilitated under their care. And he was going to be a probationary member of the team.

"What?!" Bobby looked stunned. "You can't be serious!"

"I won't let him be sent to one of those mutant detention facilities," Storm said firmly. "God knows what sort of trouble he can still stir up if he gets incarcerated with the remaining members of the Brotherhood. He held a position of command as one of Magneto's lieutenants and, with Erik Lensherr and Mystique human now, he's the likeliest successor to lead the organization. If we do it this way, not only do we leave the Brotherhood leaderless, but the others might be also compelled to cooperate with the authorities and give up their cause."

"He'll never agree to it," Bobby pronounced.

"That's why he'll be offered an incentive," Logan said.

"What would be that incentive?" It was Kitty who asked.

"If he doesn't agree to this," Storm took a deep breath before continuing, "he'll be given the cure."

Rogue gasped. "You wouldn't!" Her face was ashen.

"It's the only way we can ensure that he won't continue to be a danger," Mr. McCoy explained. "I argued against it, of course, but I'm afraid the President has made up his mind on this."

"But Worthington's laboratories were destroyed. "There's no more cure," said Peter who had been silent up till now. "Is there?" He suddenly sounded doubtful.

"Worthington Industries no longer manufactures it, yes, but the military was able to obtain samples and _their_ scientists have managed to successfully synthesize it. The President has issued a protocol that it will only be used against mutants in the most extreme cases and, unfortunately, he believes that its use will be justified in Pyro's case if the young man does not cooperate," Mr. McCoy told them.

"You can't let them do it!" Rogue appealed to Storm and Logan. "Miss Munroe, you might as well just kill him! Logan, this is wrong and you know it!"

"That's why he has to take this deal," Storm responded. "It's the best chance he can get. He must be made to understand that this is for his own welfare. I only wish that he didn't have to be threatened with the cure so he would see things our way but that's the situation and we just have to make what we can of it."

No one spoke for several minutes. Then Bobby looked at Storm. "I want to be the one to tell him," he said.

She hid her surprise that he had volunteered. "Are you sure?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"All right."

After the meeting was over, Bobby headed for the room in the mansion's underground levels where Pyro was detained. He saw the look of hatred on his former best friend's face when he came in through the door and he couldn't help but let out a little sigh. This was certainly going to be difficult.

"You're not here to feed the prisoner," Pyro said. "So what the fuck else could you be here for?"

"I need to talk to you about something," Bobby started.

"Is that so?" He sounded like he couldn't care less.

"It's important."

"Not to me."

"Damn it, you listen!" Bobby forced himself to regain control of his temper. "You've got a chance to fix the mess that you call your life. The government is offering you a deal." Pyro didn't say anything so he went on. "You get to stay here in the mansion and essentially be a free man. But you have to play by the rules. You join the X-Men and you make up for all the shit that you've done over the past few years."

Pyro looked at him with narrowed eyes. "And what if I tell all you fuckers to go to hell instead?"

"You'll get cured," Bobby told him.

Without warning, Pyro punched him in the face. "You fucking bastards!" he spat out. He looked completely furious. Then his expression became bitter. And then he was resigned.

"I'm not wearing the fucking suit," he said.


	6. Chapter 6

I Remember You

He didn't look different. He didn't feel different. In fact, just a few minutes ago, he had taken out the lighter Bobby had wordlessly returned to him and flicked it on. The flame had leapt onto his palm and transformed into a small fiery tornado as he willed it to do then it died out with a single thought. He still had his power. He was still Pyro.

As he glared at his reflection in the mirror, he wondered where they had placed the four capsules containing the cure inside his body. He had taken the deal, of course, - he wasn't a fool. The fuckers too, unfortunately, weren't fools. So, he now had four ticking time bombs inside of him, and one wrong move on his part and someone would press a little button and the cure, _that awful hated cure_, would be released into his bloodstream.

In a sudden fit of fury, he smashed the mirror with his fist. _How dare they? _How dare they do this to him? Those bastards. He had never felt so helpless before in his entire life. He was completely at their mercy. They _owned_ him. He wanted to kill them all. But – he couldn't. He _wouldn't. _Because they had his neck very firmly in the noose and though he was going to rage and chafe at it, he was trapped. He didn't want to be cured. He didn't want to be human. They knew that. And they didn't hesitate to use it against him.

When he showed up for his first session in what they called the Danger Room, Logan noticed the bandage on his right hand but did not choose to comment or ask him about it. The other people in the room, his new _teammates_, - just thinking of that word pissed him off – followed the example of the senior X-Man and didn't say anything either. They just looked at him, each one with a different expression.

Bobby's face was the easiest to read. He was obviously angry that Pyro, the X-Men's onetime enemy, was now going to be part of the team. He looked determined to give him as hard a time as possible. The girl they called Kitty, the one who had a sharp tongue on her, seemed completely indifferent; and the big guy, Pyro remembered his name was Peter, was the only one who looked like he was willing _to try_ to be pleasant. There was another person in the group, the guy with the wings, whom he couldn't recall from his school days. Logan introduced him as Warren. Angel boy nodded at him in a way that said he was reserving judgment on Pyro for now.

"So," Logan pretended not to notice the very palpable tension in the air, "why don't we have a little skirmish, just to get things flowing?"

"What about Rogue?" Bobby asked, a slight catch in his voice when he said her name. "Shouldn't we wait for her?"

The older man shook his head. "She won't be joining our sessions for an indefinite time," he told them. "She's got other stuff to deal with right now."

Bobby nodded. "I see." A look of sadness came over his face but he quickly composed himself. There was an awkward little silence for a few seconds. They all knew about the stuff that Rogue was dealing with.

"All right then," Logan growled. "Let's –" He was interrupted when Pyro suddenly spoke up.

"I don't have my igniters with me," he said.

"Your _what_?"

"The flamethrowers," Pyro explained.

"Oh, those things," the Wolverine shrugged. "You'll get them back when you get them back. For now, fire up the old way."

"Sure," he sneered. He resolved to set fire to Logan's stupid tufty hair sometime _very_ soon.

They were split up, two on three. He and Peter were paired off against the Iceman, Angel and the girl. The objective was simple: get to Wolverine on the other side of the room no matter what, and get there together. The other three would be lying in wait within the maze to ambush them.

Pyro scowled. "What maze are you talk -?" he stopped. A shimmer seemed to pass over the entire room and he suddenly found himself standing outside the entrance to a labyrinth. Beside him Peter steeled up and became the Colossus.

The metal man smiled at the look on his face. "Holograms," he informed Pyro. "Very advanced, and very cool. You have to be careful because you can actually get hurt during a session."

"I guess I skipped that class where they explained it," he retorted. A flick of his lighter and he had a fireball in his hand. "Fuck, let's just wreck this place." He was feeling very mean at the moment.

Peter didn't reply. He stepped inside and, after a second's hesitation, Pyro followed. They walked a little while and then they were confronted by four openings. "Which way?" he asked Pyro.

"Does it matter? Let's just go straight."

"And what if we come to a dead end when we pick the wrong way?"

He looked pointedly at Peter's metallic form. "You just smash through it," he said testily.

"Yes. Of course." If he wasn't a seven-foot tall being of organic steel right now, Pyro was sure that the big guy would be blushing in embarrassment. What a retard. He sighed. "Come on." He led the way this time. It was clear who had the brains in this duo. They continued to advance.

A sudden rush of air warned him of an incoming attack. "Duck!" he shouted. But it came a little too late. Angel swooped down and carried off Peter. Pyro reacted fast and hurled a fireball at the flyer. Warren cried out in pain and dropped his load. Colossus crashed to the ground and he brought down a good part of the maze with him. "Get up! Keep moving!" Peter stood up a bit unsteadily while Pyro sent his fire after Warren. There was the sharp odor of burnt feathers and Angel fell.

"One down!" Before they could exult over this little victory, Shadowcat came charging out of nowhere and smashed against Peter. Using her power, she sunk him through the floor. Then she turned to Pyro. He cursed as the flames didn't halt her progress and she delivered a very solid kick to his chest. He blocked her blows as best as he could and tried to get a few licks in but she was a slippery opponent with that mutation of hers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Colossus was tearing the floor apart to free himself. "Behind you!" he yelled and, momentarily confused, she looked over her shoulder. He took that opportunity to grab her by the throat. Angry at falling for his trick, she phased through his fingers and went back to pummeling him. She was now so focused on fighting him that she was caught completely by surprise when she felt Peter take hold of her. He threw her against the wall and she hit the ground.

"Sorry," Peter mumbled. He helped Pyro to his feet and they continued on their way. They turned a corner and were met by a blast of cold. Iceman was waiting for them.

"Shit." Pyro looked at Peter. "Stick close to me," he instructed. He created a ring of fire around the two of them.

Bobby regarded him with contempt. "If you think that's going to stop me, you're deluded," he said. "I beat you in Alcatraz, remember?"

"Yeah," he shrugged, "but that was a bad day." The fire became hotter at his command. It started to spread out. Bobby countered it with his ice but still the fire kept growing. Beads of sweat appeared on Pyro's brow as he concentrated harder. He wasn't going to be defeated this time.

"What exactly are you doing?" Peter wanted to know. He looked nervously at the flames surrounding them.

"I'll burn down the whole fucking place before I lose to him!" he swore fiercely.

An alarm began to sound. "Program terminated," a mechanical voice announced. Dimly, he could hear Logan's voice shouting. "It's over! It's over, dickhead! Put out the fire!"

"Session's over, Pyro," Peter told him. "Stop it now."

But he wasn't listening anymore. The fire was powerful and it wanted to be unleashed.

"Pyro, stop it!" Peter yelled in his ear.

He continued to ignore everything but the fire.

The last thing he saw before a sudden darkness took him was a steel fist coming towards his face.


	7. Chapter 7

I Remember You

Nobody in the team trusted him, and it was doubtful that anyone ever would given his history, but Pyro was nevertheless proving himself to be a useful addition to the X-Men. He was a maverick. When he fought, his style was reckless and undisciplined but he got results. His stratagems, when he bothered to come up with them, were surprisingly effective. Having him around kept everyone on their toes, made them all work harder. None of them wanted to be shown up by a former member of the Brotherhood.

When he wasn't training with them or going to the classes that Storm insisted he attend, he spent most of his time in the room he shared with Peter. Warren asked what he did there and his roommate reported that Pyro either only slept or read. He usually took out a good pile of books from the library and read them one after the other almost obsessively. However, he never bothered to return them, so Peter would pick them up and return them himself. Of course, Pyro never thought to thank him for doing that.

It was taking a while, but all of them were beginning to deal, to move on – each in their own way. Storm stopped walking around with a perpetual worried frown on her face. Henry McCoy didn't mutter to himself anymore when he went about his duties. Even Logan was seen throwing out a half-empty bottle of whiskey one day. The younger X-Men were also starting to settle back into their old routines without the air of distraction they had possessed since the events of Alcatraz; except for Rogue.

She was still troubled. She frequently sought out Henry McCoy just to ask him one question: "Is it ready yet?" And, every time, his answer was the same: "I'm sorry, but we're still working on it. Don't lose hope, Marie." And she would nod and say thank you then go to her room and not come out for days.

Whenever she saw Logan and the others come out of the Danger Room after a session, it was all she could do not to shed tears of frustration and anger. She should be with them. She belonged with them. She was an X-Man. She used to be the most dangerous one of them all. Her mere touch was fatal. But she wasn't the Rogue anymore. She was Marie now. She was human.

To take her mind off things, Storm assigned her to teach basic self-defense classes to the younger students. She was also sent out on errands quite often. It was during one such errand in town to pay the school's bill at a local grocer's that she ran into someone she didn't expect. She was leaving the store when she bumped into a tall, elegant woman whose eyes narrowed in recognition once she got a good look at Marie's face.

"Oh, it's you," the woman said. Something about her seemed familiar though Rogue was sure she had never seen her before.

"You know me?" she wondered.

"Yes." The woman looked a bit annoyed. "Though the last time we saw each other, I was blue."

"Mystique?"

"It's Raven," she snapped. "Just Raven now."

"I heard you had gotten cured," she said, suddenly feeling awkward around this woman who had been her enemy. "What are you doing here?"

"None of your business. And don't go sounding the alarm to your precious X-Men. Causing mayhem is not on my agenda, no matter how fun it may be." She gave Rogue a scathing look, and then she noticed something different about the young woman before her. A cold smile appeared on her face. "I guess I'm not the only one whose mayhem-causing days are over. You're not wearing gloves anymore."

"That's because I don't need them," Rogue answered somewhat stiffly. "I have to go. It _wasn't _nice seeing you again."

"Wait!" Mystique stopped her. "Why don't you come with me? - It's not what you think!" she said quickly when she saw Rogue's expression. "I'm just inviting you for coffee. Now. Just us girls."

She scowled. "And why should I do that?"

"Well, do you have anything better to do? And I can afford to kill some time before my appointment."

She thought about it for a minute, then she nodded. "Okay. But if you try anything –"

Mystique snorted. "Oh, please! What use are you to me without your powers?"

Those casual words hurt her but she was careful not to show it. She allowed Mystique to take her to a café across the street without further protest. Rogue couldn't believe that this was actually happening. She was having coffee with the woman who had once tried to kill her.

"I suppose we should have some sort of conversation," Mystique said after taking a sip of her drink. "How's the wild man?"

"Wolverine? He's doing fine."

"He's resilient, a survivor. If the Brotherhood could have recruited him, what a soldier he would have been." She sounded almost nostalgic.

"You mean you would have turned him into a heartless killer, like what you did with John?" Rogue accused her.

She laughed. "I can't believe you still have illusions about people, even after everything you've been through. That Wolverine of yours – he was _born_ to be a killer. There are some who just have that darkness in them. Killing comes naturally for those people. Pyro, however, had to be taught. And he learned very, _very_ well. Because he _wanted _to be a killer, and that's what makes him more of a monster than Wolverine could ever be."

Rogue wanted to wipe the malicious look off the woman's face. "You're the monster," she said.

Mystique smiled. "Of course, I am," she replied. "It takes one to know one."


	8. Chapter 8

I Remember You

"I know that we're supposed to treat all Danger Room sessions like we're in actual field combat," Kitty Pryde was complaining to Peter Rasputin, "but did you really _need_ to throw that car at me?" They had just finished a particularly intense training run with Storm.

"I had to stop you from getting away," he told her, not looking her in the eye.

"Hey, it's okay." She punched him playfully on the arm. "But, next time, _you're _going down."

"Not a chance," he retorted, grinning down at her but still avoiding her gaze.

Bobby had an amused look on his face as he witnessed this lighthearted exchange. "How about some pizza and a movie later in the rec room, guys?" he suggested. "I'm buying."

There were exclamations of approval from Kitty, Peter and Warren. Bobby looked at Pyro who had stayed silent. "What about it?" he asked. "Are you in?"

"I'll check my black book," was the sarcastic response. Then he walked off.

Bobby shook his head in exasperation. "Why the hell do I even try?"

"He _has_ improved, though," Peter said, defending his roommate. "Before, he wouldn't have bothered to say anything at all."

"Some improvement," Kitty commented dryly.

"Yeah," Warren said. "He's stopped calling me Wingboy. Now, I'm Wing_man._"

Predictably, Pyro didn't join them. When Peter came back to their room later that night, he found him reading in bed, as usual.

"You missed a good movie," he said conversationally.

Pyro just grunted. He didn't even look up from his book.

Peter wasn't normally the kind of guy who meddled in another person's business, especially if the person had made it very clear that he didn't want to be meddled with, but, sometimes, he would feel compelled to make an exception to this personal rule. And now was such a case.

"You know, Pyro," he began a bit hesitantly, "this has gone on long enough. You have to give us a chance."

The book was closed and Pyro stared at him. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your attitude," Peter told him. "We all know that it wasn't exactly your idea to come back here, let alone join the X-Men. But you're here now, and you're a part of the team. We are all learning to accept that fact. So, can you at least try to do the same thing?"

He didn't say anything for a long time. Then he shrugged. "I suppose it wouldn't kill me," he conceded. "But I still hate all of you fuckers."

Peter sighed. "Fine," he nodded. "You can hate us as much as you want. But, please, don't be too obvious about it."

For a second, Pyro looked like he almost found that funny. "Are we done then?" he wanted to know.

"Yes."

"Good." He opened his book and went back to reading.

After that little conversation, Peter noticed that there really _was_ an improvement in Pyro's behavior. He didn't hassle Bobby as much as he used to during sessions and he even started to call Warren by name. But, for some reason, this new goodwill didn't seem to extend to Kitty.

"Why do you give her such a hard time?" he demanded one day after a shouting match between the two had reduced Kitty to tears. She and Pyro had been partnered for a mock mission which they had failed because they had spent more time bickering than working together.

Pyro shrugged. "She just gets on my nerves."

"Kitty is probably the nicest girl you'll ever meet," Peter said. "I don't understand why you can't get along with her."

"Just because you're in love with her doesn't mean I have to feel the same way!" he snapped.

"What?" Peter stammered. "I'm not in lov -!"

"Oh, shut up!" His roommate scowled at him. "You're so crazy about her you can't even see straight!"

He opened his mouth to make another denial then thought better of it. "Do you think she knows?" he asked instead.

"I don't know! Ask her yourself!"

"I don't know how to start to tell her. I've always thought she was sweet and smart, but I never had these feelings for her until after what happened in Alcatraz. That made me realize some things. However, I wasn't sure if I should make a move because there's Bobby and –"

Pyro suddenly looked very alert. "What does the Iceman have to do with anything?"

"Well, I don't really know if anything happened but, for a while there, there seemed to be something going on between the two of them."

"Really?"

"Maybe I just imagined it, because they don't seem to act differently around each other. They're obviously good friends and nothing more, I think." Peter sounded like he was trying to convince himself that it was true.

"Huh." Pyro was thoughtful for a moment. "Petey," he suddenly said, "that's how it usually starts. First, the icedick becomes her friend and you guys all hang out together then, the next thing you know, you're fucked. If you really like that Kittycat of yours, I suggest you go for it _now, _before Drake gets his minty fresh breath on her."

"You really think so?" He seemed doubtful.

"Trust me," Pyro assured him. "I speak from experience."


	9. Chapter 9

I Remember You

She stared at him in suspicion. "Come on," Pyro said. "Get up." There was no trace of impatience either in his face or in his voice. Warily, she grabbed the hand he was offering and he pulled her up to her feet. Then he went back to the fight.

He had been acting strangely around her for the past few days. There were no insults, no arguments, no annoyances. He was actually being nice to her. She was sure he was up to something. She couldn't imagine what it might be, though. She didn't think she wanted to find out. However, when she ran into him in the hallways one day and he said hi, that was it. She had to know what had gotten into him.

"Can I talk to you?" Before he had even agreed to that, she had taken him by the arm and dragged him inside an empty classroom. "What's going on?" she asked abruptly.

"What do you mean?" he frowned.

"Why are you being nice to me now?" She expected him to laugh and tell her it was all a twisted joke or something. Instead, his answer truly surprised her.

"Peter asked me to be nice to you," he said.

"Peter did what?" She wasn't sure she had heard him correctly.

"He didn't like that we were always fighting, so he talked to me about it and I promised to behave myself."

"You promised Peter that you would behave?" She was still having a hard time believing it. "And _why_?"

"He's a good guy. In fact, he's the only person around here I can tolerate for long periods of time."

"Okay," she nodded. "Okay. Good to know that there's some maturity in you."

"Yeah. Must be the Tinman's influence."

"There are worse people to be influenced by," she told him.

"I'm sure. Is this conversation over?" He looked bored.

"Yes, it is." He was about to leave but then she called his name. "Pyro?"

"What?"

"I'm glad we're not fighting anymore. - And I'm sorry."

The frown was back. "Make up your mind. Are you glad or sorry?"

"Oh! I mean," she was flustered, "I am glad that we're starting to get along. What I'm sorry about is what I said to you that time, when you first came back."

"All right," he shrugged. "Not a problem."

She went to talk to Peter afterwards. "Thanks for helping out with Pyro," she told him. "I was starting to consider committing murder if he had kept on being such a jerk. I really appreciate what you did."

"Sure," he smiled shyly. "Least that I could do."

"I don't know how you did it, but I guess the two of you have become friends, huh?"

"Sort of. He's a difficult person to get to know but from what I've seen so far, I don't think he's as hopeless as we first believed."

"Who would have guessed?" She had a strange look on her face. "Pyro has depth."

"Oh, I think he's always had it. He just hid it very well."

"Yeah," she nodded pensively. "Sometimes, people hide what they think others don't want to see."

"That's true," he agreed quietly.

"Well, I better get going. I'm meeting Bobby in the library. Care to join us?"

"Oh. No." He shook his head. "I have other stuff to do."

"Okay. See you." She gave him a little wave and then she was off.

Bobby noticed that she was a bit distracted while they were studying. "Is something wrong?" he asked her.

"No. Just – it's nothing. I'm tired. Do you mind if we flunk the history exam tomorrow? I don't feel like studying anymore."

He chuckled. "Well, your grades can stand one failing mark. Mine can't. But you go on to bed. You do look tired. I'll just let you cheat off my paper."

"I'm counting on that." He winked at her and she laughed. "Goodnight."

She had trouble sleeping again. She didn't want to think why. But, of course, she knew. Since Pyro had come back, or since he was brought back to the mansion, something had awoken within her. Something that she had thought was dead. He said that he remembered her following them around during the days when he and Bobby were still best friends, when they were all still so young. She wasn't following them around. She was following _him. _From the moment she had met him, she had felt something for the sarcastic troublemaker of Xavier's Academy. She had looked into his eyes when he had helped her pick up her books, and she had seen the storms raging inside of him. Later, when she thought about it, she told herself that what she felt for him was only a very intense crush, just a silly schoolgirl infatuation.

After all, no one falls in love when they're twelve years old.


	10. Chapter 10

I Remember You

"You fucking traitor! _Pyro_! Bastard! I'm gonna kill you, son of a bitch!" A half-dozen policemen were trying, and failing, to restrain the wild-eyed mutant who had been apprehended after levitating several cars and a truck then sending the vehicles crashing down on civilians. He had killed thirteen people and injured five before the X-Men had arrived and stopped him. Colossus walked over to him now and, without a word, punched him. He fell unconscious immediately. Casting the steel man nervous yet grateful looks, the local cops bundled their captive into an armored van.

Wolverine frowned at Pyro. "Friend of yours?" he inquired.

The young man nodded, his expression grim. "He's Brotherhood," he confirmed. "I recruited him. Didn't know he had escaped Alcatraz."

"He didn't seem too happy that you got out, too," observed his field leader.

Pyro didn't respond. He just looked sullen. It was the first time he had ever fought _with _the X-Men outside of the Danger Room, and he wasn't relishing the experience. Stupid idiots. They actually thought that they were making a difference, doing the right thing by saving the helpless humans. What was especially galling was the fact that _he_ was doing the same thing, being all hero of the fucking day. He had half a mind to torch the van bearing his former Brotherhood comrade so that the guy could get free then make good on his threat to kill him and put him out of this humiliating misery. Shit. He was saving the world with the goddamn X-Men. He would much rather be dead.

He observed idly that Colossus, still in his metal form, was standing with Shadowcat and picking out something, maybe a piece of debris, from her hair. She first looked surprised then embarrassed at this little gesture. Iceman and Angel were nearby, and the two of them exchanged knowing glances when they witnessed the same incident. He smirked. It looked like the tinhead was taking his advice about making the moves on the kitten.

They had a bit of a celebration that night. None of them ever went right out and said it, but he knew that they were doing it to make him feel more a part of the team. Even Bobby gave him the faintest trace of an approving smile. It was enough to make him want to set fire to everyone. But he refrained from violence, drank their weak-ass punch and nibbled at the pizza Kitty had handed to him on a paper plate.

"Doesn't your face ever hurt from scowling all the time?" Peter asked him. He sat beside Pyro on the couch.

"No. Not after lots and lots of practice," he replied. He noted that the other guy couldn't keep his eyes off Kitty as she talked with Warren in one corner of the room. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be working your charm over there?"

"I have no idea what to talk about when I'm with her," confessed Peter.

"The weather's always an option," he retorted and stood up.

"Wait. Are you leaving?"

"Yeah. I've stayed the maximum of ten minutes that I can stand being with you losers in a social setting. I'm going to bed." All the camaraderie in the room was making him feel nauseated.

If he thought that saving human lives with the X-Men was bad enough, Pyro revised his opinion about it the next day when he found himself being an unwilling partner in Peter Rasputin's pursuit of Kitty Pryde.

Her birthday was coming up soon and Peter wanted to gift her with something truly special, something that would let her know that he deeply cared for her. So, Peter asked Pyro to accompany him to town and help pick out an appropriate present. His roommate, of course, flat out refused to do such a thing. It took some arguing, a little begging, and, finally, outright bribing to make him change his mind.

"What do you think she'll like?" Peter wondered as he stared at the window display of a jewelry store.

"I'm pretending that I don't know you, man, so I'm the wrong person to ask," Pyro responded, looking decidedly uncomfortable at being part of this little shopping expedition.

"How about that bracelet?" He pointed to a delicately pretty thing that was studded with pink stones.

Pyro was about to snap at Peter when his attention was caught by something else. While looking around casually, he was surprised to see Rogue walking across the street. He hadn't seen her around the mansion for the last couple of weeks. He thought she looked worse than he remembered. She was so pale and thin that he fancied a single strong gust of wind could blow her away. She went into a café and sat at a table near its large window. From the way she was acting, she looked like she was waiting for someone. Curious now, he continued to watch her.

Presently, someone arrived at her table and sat on the chair across from her. A waiter came but they waved him off. Rogue and the newcomer then started talking like they were old friends.

His eyes widened when he finally recognized the person she was with. "Son of a bitch." It was Mystique. He would know that haughty expression no matter what form she wore. "I'll be right back," he told Peter a bit absently and headed for the café.


	11. Chapter 11

I Remember You

They stopped talking as soon as he appeared by their table. Rogue looked up at him in surprise and guilt. Mystique merely regarded him with her familiar coldness.

"Hello, Pyro," she greeted him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Visiting," she replied. "Marie and I have developed quite a friendship."

"Really?" he scoffed. "Since when?"

"John!" Rogue said his name sharply. "You have no business here. Would you please leave?"

His expression was suspicious as he stared at the two of them. "Give me a minute," he finally said. "I want to talk to Mystique alone."

She was about to protest but the other woman patted her hand reassuringly. "Could you please give us a few minutes, Marie?" Mystique requested. "It's all right." Reluctantly, she left. Pyro took her seat.

"You look well," Mystique told him after a short silence.

"As well as can be, for a prisoner."

"A prisoner? Is that so? I hear you're an X-Man now."

"Not by choice," he said bitterly. "Let's stop talking about the weather now, okay? What are you really doing here?"

"I already told you. I'm visiting my friend."

"Bullshit. You're up to something. I have no idea what it is and I can't imagine what it could be, but you're up to something.'

"Fine." She gave a little sigh of annoyance. "You know me to well. I am up to something. I met your Rogue by accident a few weeks ago while I was in town and we got to talking. And she let slip a very interesting piece of information.'

He immediately knew what she meant. "The _cure _to the cure. You want it."

"Well, of course!" she exclaimed. "If she can get her powers back then I want to regain mine, too."

"They're not even sure that they _can _do that," he told her. "And even if they could, there's no way you can get your hands on it."

She smiled. "And that's why I'm her new best friend."

He just looked at her for a long moment then he spoke, "Don't do this."

"Why the hell not?" she demanded angrily. "You don't know what it's like! _Powerless. Human. _It's disgusting! Everything's wrong. My skin feels too tight. My face isn't my own. I can't live like this! I used to be this creature feared by others. Now look at me!"

He did. He stared at her. He studied her features carefully. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. And, for the first time since he had known her, she looked almost fragile. It was hard to believe that she was the strange, dangerous woman who had mothered him in her own cruel way when he first joined the Brotherhood. Suddenly, he couldn't stand the sight of her anymore.

"I strongly suggest that you leave Rogue alone," he said gruffly. "Forget whatever scheme you've got planned and just leave. You're going to fail if you go on with this."

She reddened in fury. "You really think that I've become so weak." She was humiliated.

"No." He shook his head. "I think you're going to get hurt. I don't want to see that happen. It's all over, Mystique. _We lost. _But we're still breathing. And that's _exactly_ the punishment we deserve."

Rogue came back then. She looked worriedly at Mystique when she noticed the telltale moisture in the older woman's eyes. "Raven? What happened? What did he say to you?" She shot Pyro an angry glance.

"Come on, Marie. Let's go back to the school," he said tonelessly.

"No! Raven?"

"Go," Mystique said. "I'd like you to go."

Rogue still refused so Pyro made her leave the café, causing quite a scene in the process. He got a confused Peter to help him and, together, they forced her into the car they had brought and took her home to the mansion. She clawed at his face as he dragged her to her room. Her fingernails drew blood from his cheek. Without thinking, he struck her. She fell on the bed, sobbing.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?" he snarled.

She flew at him, her hands reaching for his throat. For a mad moment, he actually considered just letting her strangle him. Then he wouldn't have to deal with all this shit anymore. But, instead of choking him, she pulled him closer and kissed him. She bit his lips so hard that she broke the skin and he tasted his own blood on his tongue. "Hurt me!" she whispered fiercely against his mouth.

He responded to her kisses with the same violence. They tore at each other's clothes desperately, falling to the floor and pressing skin against skin till bruises formed. It wasn't love. They had both learned the hard way that love was worthless.

She cried the whole time. He never tried to comfort her.


	12. Chapter 12

I Remember You

She couldn't quite meet his eyes. She felt completely wretched and she wished that the entire thing had never happened. Except that it _had_ happened, and now she had a brokenhearted Peter Rasputin to contend with.

Slowly, he took the small box she held out to him.

"I'm really sorry," she repeated for what must have been the seventh time.

He forced a smile. "It's all right. I understand."

Kitty sighed. "I'm sorry," she said again. "You're a great guy and I like you. I do like you a lot. But, - I just don't feel the same way. And, even if I did, I'm at a point in my life right now where I'm just not ready for anything like this."

He nodded. "Of course. I respect that. I respect _you_. But it doesn't change the way I feel. I will still care for you, Kitty, and I will still be your friend."

He couldn't have made her feel worse than if he had shouted at her. "Thank you," she told him. "You are amazing, Peter Rasputin." She suddenly wanted to cry.

"But not amazing enough." He shrugged and even managed a weak chuckle. "I'm sorry, but - I think I should go. Would you excuse me?"

"Yes. Yes! Sure." Before he turned away, she impulsively hugged him. "Oh, Peter."

His arms tightened around her briefly then he pulled away. "I'll see you."

As she watched him go, she was almost tempted for a second to call him back. But it wouldn't have been fair to him. He deserved better than someone who was only with him because of a misguided sense of friendship.

He had taken her completely by surprise. She had had no idea that he had feelings for her until he made that stammering confession when he presented her with his gift. She had listened silently as he told her that recent events, especially the battle in Alcatraz, had made him reevaluate a lot of things in his life. "There seemed to be all the time in the world before that night," he had said. "But, it turns out there isn't. You can lose everything in a second, and you can never get things back once they're gone. So I don't want to let things just happen to me anymore. I want to make choices, take chances. I want to _live _my life, and if I can have you in it then I'd be the happiest man in the world." Then she had spoken, and her words had made the hopeful light in his eyes fade.

The whole encounter had upset her greatly. It had become her habit these days that, whenever she was upset, she would go to the Danger Room and have a solo training run to clear her head. She was in the middle of her exercise, intensely focused on fighting half a dozen robotic opponents. She had taken out four of them and was about to charge the remaining two when they were suddenly struck by fire. She turned around in surprise and saw Pyro smirking at her.

"That was lousy," he said. "I could have torched you before you even knew that I was there."

"You're interrupting my session," she snapped.

He just shrugged. "How about a little one on one?" he suggested. "You. Me. Gloves off."

She looked at him curiously. He seemed to be in a strange mood today; not that his mood was ever _not _strange. But there was _something. _

"Hello, Kitty? Come on. Let's see who can kick ass better."

She nodded. "Okay. You're on."

It was brutal. When it was over, Pyro sat up on the floor, wincing in pain. He gave her a dark look. "Have you been holding back during training all this time?" he asked.

"Maybe." She couldn't help but grin at his expression.

"Haven't had a workout like that in a while," he remarked, shaking his head.

"You're supposed to be a badass. You can take it," she told him without any trace of sympathy.

"As soon as the swelling goes down, we're having a rematch," he vowed.

"I won't hold my breath," she retorted. She held out a hand to help him up, but he ignored it pointedly and got back to his feet on his own. He frowned at her and that was when she finally noticed the two small wounds caused by Rogue's fingernails.

"I didn't see these before! What happened?" She reached out and touched his cheek gingerly.

He started as if she had electrocuted him. "It's none of your business!" he growled.

"Sorry. I was just -!" She couldn't imagine what had gotten into him. His moods changed so much from moment to moment that it was difficult to keep up with him.

"You know what, it's fine. Forget it." He told her, then he left as abruptly as he had arrived.


	13. Chapter 13

I Remember You

Something had changed between Kitty and Peter. However, it wasn't the change that Bobby Drake had been expecting.

Anyone with eyes could see that Peter was in love with Kitty. He didn't know how or when the Colossus started to feel that way for their little Shadowcat, but he wasn't at all surprised when the fact first became obvious. Kitty was a sweet girl; the kind who could make any guy fall at her feet, not because of her dazzling beauty, but because of her amazing heart. God knew he himself had been tempted once.

When the signs of Peter's affection first became apparent, Bobby was genuinely glad. If anyone deserved to be with Kitty, it was Peter Rasputin. He was one of the best people Bobby had ever met; a bit quiet sometimes but kind and dependable, an all-around solid guy. He was sure that it was only a matter of time before Kitty would realize the same thing and the two of them would end up together.

But, now, this strange awkwardness had come between them. They were acting more like acquaintances than the friends they actually were. It was odd. He thought that things had been progressing well.

"What's going on with you and Peter?" he asked one night during dinner. The three of them usually ate together but, as soon as Peter caught sight of them, he did an about-face and retreated out of the dining hall.

A blush immediately spread on Kitty's face. "Nothing," she mumbled, feigning an intense concentration on her food.

"Hey." Bobby touched her hand and she looked up to meet his gaze reluctantly. "You know you can talk to me."

She bit her lip then spoke, "He told me he had feelings for me."

"But that's great!" Bobby smiled. "Peter's a great guy."

"I know," she sighed.

His smile turned into a frown. "So what did you tell him?"

"That I didn't feel the same way," she confessed almost shamefully.

"Why not? Couldn't you have given him a chance?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "No. It's hard to explain."

"Try," he urged.

She sighed again. "He told me that he realized he had feelings for me after what happened in Alcatraz. He said it made him look at his life differently and, now, he wants to live as best as he can."

"Well, that's a good thing."

"Yeah. Yeah, it is. But – it just scared me. Because Alcatraz changed me, too. It made me see myself, _really see. _And I'm not someone like Peter who can go through something awful like that and come out of it a better person. I just don't have that in me!"

"It's okay -," he tried to pat her hand comfortingly.

"No, it's not!" she snapped. "Why does everyone keep saying that? It is not okay! Nothing is okay anymore! The world has changed but we're still pretending that it's all going to be all right. But it doesn't work like that!"

Her last words echoed in the sudden silence. Bobby reddened when he saw that they had acquired a very avid audience. Their schoolmates were all staring at the two of them. Kitty then stood up abruptly and walked out of the room. He hesitated for a few seconds and then he cursed under his breath and went after her.

"Kitty, wait! Wait, okay?" He forced her to face him. "I don't have a clue here," he told her. "What's happening to you?"

"I really thought it would be okay," she cried. "I thought that if I just pretended hard enough, then _I _would be okay. But I can't do this anymore."

"What are you saying?" He truly wanted to understand.

"I'm saying -," she phased through his hands, "- that I'm leaving the X-Men."

"_What_?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while now," she told him. "I need space and time apart from all this. As soon as I graduate, I'll be gone from here. It may not necessarily be a permanent thing. I may still come back, –"

"Or you may not," he said. "Are you sure that it's what you really want?"

"Well, actually, I was hoping that going away for some time would help me figure out what I really want," she replied. "I do still believe in what we're fighting for. It's just that I'm not sure if I like the way that we do the fighting."

"I understand," he nodded. "I really do."

She smiled at him a bit uncertainly. "So, you're gonna be backing me up on this? Miss Munroe is not gonna like it when I tell her."

"Count on it," he promised.


	14. Chapter 14

I Remember You

"Well, this is a change," Pyro said dryly when he walked into the room and found Peter reading in bed.

Peter just frowned at him. "Where did you sleep last night?"

"Hey. What's with the third degree?" His roommate took off his jacket and tossed it carelessly to the floor. "I though we had a deal that this was gonna be an _open_ relationship."

"I was just asking," he responded patiently. He was used to Pyro by now. "And while I'm asking, would you mind telling me now why we dragged Rogue screaming out of a café a few days ago?"

"I already told you. She didn't like the cappuccino." Pyro sat by the study table and started disarranging stuff. Peter wondered why he was being so secretive about the real cause of that incident. While he was thinking of possible reasons, Pyro opened one of the table's drawers and rummaged idly through a thick pile of papers.

"What do you think you're doing?" Peter asked.

"I'm bored. You got any porn somewhere around here?"

"No! Would you stop going through my stuff?" Peter was suddenly on his feet. He seemed nervous.

Pyro's expression showed surprise when his questing hands found something concealed beneath pages of notes and homework. "What's this?" He held up a black velvet box.

"Put that back," Peter said though gritted teeth.

"Kinda looks familiar. Kinda looks like the present you got for your crushie." He opened it and saw the bracelet it contained. "Yeah, I'm right. What's this doing here? Shouldn't you have given it to her by now?"

Peter grabbed the box from his hand. "It didn't work out," he said.

"Huh. Well, that sucks. For you."

"Haven't you got anything better to do?"

He shook his head. "No. But I am thinking of something right now. Let's get shitfaced."

"I'm not that depressed, Pyro."

"You should be! The girl of your fucking dreams just ripped your guts out! You are entitled to a drink. _Several_ drinks."

Pyro could be quite persuasive when he wanted to be. So Peter was convinced to go to a local bar where the two of them proceeded to get seriously drunk. They staggered back to the mansion at around three in the morning, with Pyro supporting his roommate. Peter pushed him away, though, and went off on his own.

"Where are you going?" he wondered. "That's not the way to our room." Peter was heading for the girls' dormitories. "Oh, shit. Are you going where I think you're going?"

"Kitty?" Peter knocked on her door. "Kitty?"

"Fuck it, Tinman, don't humiliate yourself like this!" Pyro looked absolutely disgusted.

"Kitty!"

Her head poked through the door. She stared at him in shock. "Peter? What are you doing?"

Peter smiled drunkenly. "Kitty." He tried to touch her but his hands passed right through her face.

"You're drunk!" she realized when the smell of his breath hit her. She gave Pyro a dirty look. "He's drunk! This is your fault, isn't it? You did this to him!"

He shrugged. "He did the vodka to himself!"

She phased the rest of her body through the door. "Come on." She took Peter by the hand. "Let's get you to bed. Would you come over here and help me?" she snapped at Pyro.

He belched. "Sure."

The expression on her face was one of complete irritation. "Drunk guys are disgusting," she muttered to herself. The two of them half-dragged, half-carried Peter to his room. They dumped him on his bed where he settled in with a grunt and a snore and then he finally passed out. Kitty sighed in relief then turned to Pyro in anger.

He leered at her. "Are you gonna put me to bed, too?"

"I'd rather put you in a coma!" she retorted. "He would never do something stupid like this if you didn't put him up to it!"

"Well, excuse me for trying to help the guy!"

"_Help_ him?" she was incredulous. "Exactly how was this supposed to help him?"

"He would have forgotten how a certain little bitch stuck a knife in his heart!" There was deliberate malice in his tone.

She slapped him. "You have _no_ right to say that to me!" She was trembling with fury. "You – _I hate you!_"

She meant it. He could see it in her eyes that she truly meant it. Whatever friendliness or tolerance she may have felt for him since he started being somewhat nice to her, it had been destroyed by his own perverseness. It was strange because he was used to people hating him, but the way she looked at him now – with such _loathing_ – he felt almost ashamed for being cruel.

"Kitty, I –" he stopped. He was at a loss for words.

She gave him one last glare and then she walked out of the room.


	15. Chapter 15

I Remember You

There was a soft knock at the door and Peter braced himself. "Come in," he invited.

It was Kitty. She gave him a shy smile. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

He looked embarrassed. "Better."

She nodded. "Good."

"Listen, – I'm sorry," he told her. "I know I said I was going to respect the decision you made but, last night, it was just a very weird time. I was drunk, which is not an excuse, and I shouldn't have tried to knock down your door at four in the morning."

"It's all right," she assured him. "The door's still alive."

He grinned weakly. "You don't hate me?"

"Of course not. Don't be silly."

An expression of relief came over his face. "Great."

"Well, I came here to check if you were okay, and I'm glad that you are. I also came here to tell you something."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm leaving at the end of term," she announced. "I have more than enough units to qualify me for graduation, so I'll be graduating. I'll be quitting the X-Men and going home for a while, then, I don't know, travel. Do stuff that I always wanted to do. I would be gone for a long time."

"But you'll come back, right?" he wanted to know. "When do you think you'll be coming back?"

"See, that's the thing. I'm not sure if I'm ever gonna come back."

He didn't speak for a few minutes, and then he nodded slowly. "I see."

"I'll keep in touch, though," she promised. "I'll call, I'll email. We'd still be able to talk. I'd want to know what's happening to you."

"But you wouldn't be here. It wouldn't be the same."

She didn't say anything. He came nearer and, hesitantly, he took her hands in his. "I'll miss you," he said. "And, don't worry. I'm not going to say anything really corny like – _I'll wait for you forever._" He whispered the last five words.

A single tear fell down her cheek. He bent his head and kissed it away. Suddenly, she moved her face slightly and met his lips with her own. Peter was stunned at this action. He thought she must have made some kind of mistake. She couldn't be kissing him. But she was, and she wasn't pulling away from him like she always did. He felt he would be taking advantage of her if he responded but, eventually, love and need won out. With a soft groan, he surrendered.

"Hey, Roboguy! Are you done moping -?" Pyro came bursting into the room then stopped in his tracks when he saw the two of them.

They broke apart and Kitty, with a very red blush on her cheeks, practically ran out of the room in embarrassment. She phased right through a startled Pyro without making a sound.

Peter was blushing, too, when he looked at his roommate. "You have impeccable timing," he said.

Pyro scowled. "Well, next time, hang a Do Not Disturb sign!" he barked out. "So, you and the kitten are official now? I guess getting drunk and being put to bed like a baby works for the ladies. Or maybe some girls are just very weird."

"It wasn't like that." Peter sat down on his bed. "She's leaving in a few weeks. I'm probably never going to see her again." He sighed. "She was kissing me goodbye."

"And that's it? You're not even gonna _try _to convince her to stay?"

"How do I do that? If she wanted to stay, she wouldn't be leaving, would she?"

"I suppose not. But, sometimes, people leave even though they really wanna stay. They leave because they think that it's the only choice left to them."

Peter shook his head. "What does that even mean?"

Pyro shrugged. "It means that if someone just cared enough to _ask_ them to stay, then maybe they would."


	16. Chapter 16

I Remember You

Her fingers idly traced the faint outline of a scar on his back.

"How'd you get this?" she wondered.

"Got stabbed," was his short reply.

They were in Rogue's room, in her bed. Pyro was lying on the left side with his back to her. She had noticed that he always did that, like he didn't want to face her afterwards.

"When did it happen" She wanted him to talk to her.

"I'm not sure. Maybe a year ago."

"Who did it?" She hated this. Hated having to almost beg him for some conversation.

He finally turned and looked at her. His eyes were hard and cold. "Magneto sent me to kill this guy. He fought back and I got stabbed. Then I burned his fucking face off."

She was silent for a moment, then she asked, "How many people have you killed?" She didn't really want to know the answer, but she had to know.

"The ones I remember? Twenty-four. Those I don't remember? Well, let's just say that I had the highest body count while I was still with the Brotherhood," he told her with cruel relish.

"Why are you like this? Why do you seem to hate me so much now?"

He laughed bitterly. "It doesn't really fucking matter, does it?"

"No," she said after a while. "It doesn't." She turned away from him so she could ignore the bleakness in his eyes. "Logan knows," she told him, "about us. He gave me the talk, or his version of it, anyway."

"Yeah. I figured as much when he made me do a solo run in the Danger Room. Four times."

"I told him not to worry. I know what I'm doing. And, besides, this isn't really gonna last much longer."

He snorted. "Why? You're getting cured again?"

"No. I'm going to die."

He stared at the back of her head. "What?"

"I'm going to die," she repeated. "If I don't get my powers back, I'm going to die. I'd rather die than live like this."

"So, what? You're gonna commit suicide?" He sounded disgusted with her.

"No." She faced him once more. "You're going to kill me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby stared at Pyro. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked somewhat testily. He was reading alone in the library when Pyro appeared and sat right across from him at the same table. However, he didn't say a word. He just sat there, scowling at Bobby. "What the hell do you want?" he demanded when Pyro still didn't make a sound after several more minutes.

The silence was then broken. "You need to help your girlfriend, Drake," Pyro said, surprising him. "She needs you right now."

"And since when did you get into couples therapy?" he scoffed. "My relationship with Rogue is none of your business. Now, leave me alone."

Suddenly, Pyro exploded. He vaulted over the table and grabbed Bobby by the throat. The two of them crashed to the floor. "You listen, you son of a bitch!" he growled. "She chose _you_! She chose you, and I stood by and did nothing because I knew that I didn't deserve her! If we were ever really friends before, you better prove to me that I was right to do that, damn you!"

"Fuck you!" Bobby punched him on the nose. They struggled, each one trying to beat the other up. They could have used their powers, but they didn't. They seemed to prefer the immediate violence of an actual physical fight. After all, this was personal. And nothing could get more personal than the feel of a hated enemy's bones breaking beneath your fist.

"Enough! Stop this!" Bobby finally managed to push Pyro away. He sat up on the floor, breathing with difficulty. He was sure that Pyro's last kick had cracked a rib or two. His opponent wasn't looking too well, either. Pyro's left eye was bloodshot, horribly swollen. He spat out blood and teeth as he watched Bobby's every move, his entire body tensed and ready to resume the fight at a second's notice.

"Just back off!" Bobby shouted at him. "Get the fuck away from me!"

"You're a dick," Pyro sneered. He stood up shakily. He started to turn away.

"I don't know how to help her," Bobby spoke sadly. "I thought that if I loved her, then that would be enough. But she keeps moving farther and farther away, and _I don't know how to help her_." He met Pyro's pitiless gaze. "I tried, John. But she – she wouldn't let me! She said that she didn't love me enough! You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved."

Pyro sighed. "But if you love someone," he then said, "you still have to try."

"John?" Bobby was just realizing something for the first time. "You loved her, too. Didn't you?"

"I don't even remember the feeling anymore." He sounded incredibly weary. "Just do something. Help her. Because I can't."

Bobby nodded. And, with that small gesture, a new understanding was formed between them. It wasn't friendship yet, but it was a beginning.


	17. Chapter 17

I Remember You

It had turned out to be a good idea that she had insisted on taking advanced classes from the moment she had set foot in the Institute. Because of that, she was now able to graduate a whole year sooner than she had planned. Professor Xavier had tried to persuade her to take only the courses that were appropriate for her age. He had told her, "It's never wise to try to grow up too fast, Kitty." But she had been very determined to have her way and he had given in to her wishes at the end. And, like everyone else, he had eventually forgotten just how young she actually was. She had always seemed older with her intelligence and quiet self-assurance. That was why he had asked her to walk in and get those files from that colonel's office. That was why he had asked her to become one of his X-Men. She supposed that he had never even thought that she was nowhere near ready for that particular burden.

Oh, but she was going to miss this place. It was more than a school to her. It was a home. The people here were her family. But she was still leaving. She was leaving because this family had asked too much and she had been broken.

She had said her goodbyes to the X-Men. Storm had gotten a little teary-eyed and Logan had wished her a gruff "Good luck." Mr. McCoy had shaken her hand and Warren had surprisingly kissed her on the cheek. Then Bobby had hugged her so tightly that she was almost out of breath before he had finally let her go. Even Rogue had made one of her rare appearances and had presented her with a pair of fine leather gloves. Peter, though, had been conspicuously absent.

Bobby had offered to drive her to the airport, but she had refused. She didn't think she could stand getting on the plane knowing that someone she loved would actually be there to watch her fly away. It was better to go alone. As she waited in the foyer for the cab she had called, she heard soft footsteps behind her. She didn't turn around and merely waited for whomever it was to speak.

"Kitty?"

She was genuinely startled. The last person she had expected it to be was Pyro. She frowned. "What do you want?" she asked, facing him.

"Nothing. I just -," he shrugged. "Look, I know we've had our differences, mainly because I've always been an asshole to you. But, I just want to say -," he couldn't go on.

She nodded in understanding. "It's all right," she told him. "It doesn't matter now."

"Yeah." He nodded, too. "Yeah." He started to leave, but then he stopped. He seemed to struggle to speak. "Remember what you said to me – about what I was like when we first met? You asked me what had happened to me, why I am what I am right now. Well, I thought about that, I really did, and – I don't know. I made a wrong turn somewhere and I can never go back to that place where I was before. And, the truth is, I don't think I even wanna go back. I'm just not the sort of person who believes in second chances and making up for the past. You said I could still be kind then. But I can't be kind anymore."

She knew it was his way of apologizing for what he had said that night when he and Peter had gotten drunk. She felt sad because she saw that he truly believed in what he had told her about himself. She knew differently, however. He had bothered to explain his actions to her, though he certainly didn't owe her any explanations. He might not think so, but that boy who had helped her pick up her books was still in there, somewhere. She was only sorry that she wouldn't be around to see if that boy ever came back.

She smiled at him, and he looked surprised. "Do me a favor, okay?" she said. "Don't take Peter to a bar ever again."

He nodded and answered her smile with a little twisted one of his own. "Sure. Unless he really insists."

A honk sounded, telling her that the cab had arrived. She held out her hand to him. "That's for me. Well, goodbye, Pyro."

He shook hands with her, but he didn't say anything.

He was the last person she saw as the cab drove away.


	18. Chapter 18

I Remember You

Storm and Logan broke off an intense discussion when Rogue knocked on the door of the headmistress's office. "Come in, Marie," Storm told her. "Sit."

She sat on the chair facing the desk, waiting for the older woman to tell her why she had been called. "Hank will be here in a few minutes. He's got some good news for you," Storm said. "I'd like to stay here for that but something has come up. I have to go meet someone."

"I'm coming with you," Logan said firmly. It became apparent that they had been having a little argument about that before she came in. "I'm not going to let you walk in there blind."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I know her?" Storm retorted. "She was a colleague of the Professor's."

"Who called you up in the middle of the night asking for an urgent meeting without explaining why," he pointed out. "That hardly inspires trust."

"I am meeting her." Storm sounded very determined. "If you want to come along, fine. Just don't sniff her for guilt or something, for heaven's sake." She gave Rogue an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. I don't know how you put up with this protective act of his."

"I mostly ignore it," she commented, earning her a glare from Wolverine.

"Good day to everyone." Henry McCoy smiled at them in greeting.

"Great. You're here. Logan and I have to go meet someone. It might be important. We'll be back in an hour."

"All right." He nodded. "I'll see you then."

Storm left. Logan gently touched Rogue on the cheek before he followed her out of the room. "Be good, kid," he said. He looked like he wanted to say something else but then changed his mind. "I'll see you."

"Well." Mr. McCoy beamed at Rogue. "I have very good news for you, Marie," he said. He was carrying a small metallic case in his hand. When he opened it, she saw that it contained one of those specially-designed syringes that bore the cure. But the liquid inside it was of a different color from the cure.

She was tantalized by the sight. "You did it," she whispered, scarcely believing her eyes. "You really did it. I can have my powers back!"

"Eventually, yes," he told her. "This is the first stable solution Worthington's scientists have managed to concoct. But it's far from ready to be administered to you, however. We still have to run it through a few more tests to make sure that it's completely safe."

The hope in her eyes dimmed. "How long will those tests take?"

"A couple of months, at least. But that's a whole lot sooner than we originally projected. Just think about it, Marie. In a few months, you _can_ have your powers back."

"No!" She shook her head angrily. "I can't wait anymore! I want it now!"

"Marie, please," he tried to soothe her. "We don't want this to hurt you. That's why we'll be testing it further."

"It's not going to hurt me!" She moved to grab the syringe from him.

He pushed her away, shocked at her action. "Marie!"

She looked shocked herself. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry, Mr. McCoy! It's all been just too much! I'm sorry!"

"There, there. It's all right." He placed the syringe on the table and enfolded her in his arms to comfort her. She sobbed on his shoulder. He didn't see her hand grope for and then pick up the heavy quartz paperweight on the desk. She swung it at his head with all her strength and he crumpled to the floor.

Rogue looked down at his still form. There was only coldness in her expression. She took the syringe and stared at it for a moment. Then, without any hesitation, she broke its seal and plunged the needle into her arm. She injected all of its contents into her veins.

The syringe dropped from her hand as she began to shake violently. She gasped in sudden pain.

"Something's wrong!"


	19. Chapter 19

I Remember You

"You're getting more pathetic every day, man," Pyro told Peter.

"Shut up."

The two of them were in the library. Peter was sitting in front of the computer, looking a bit lost. Pyro was there simply to annoy him. "You just replied to her email," he said. "It's going to take her a few minutes to check it and read it, then several more minutes to write an answer, _if _she's going to answer immediately. And, in the meantime, you're there staring at the stupid computer and going blind."

"Shut up," Peter repeated. He sighed. "You're right. This waiting is pointless. Why don't we go out for a drink?"

"No, thanks." Pyro shook his head. "Don't feel like drinking. Apparently, it's kind of bad for you."

Peter scowled at him. Bobby appeared just then. "What are you guys doing?" he asked them.

"He's waiting for an email," Pyro said, indicating Peter.

"Why don't you just call her?" Bobby suggested, looking amused. "I gave you her number."

"No." Peter grimaced. "I wouldn't know what to say."

"Are we having a meeting?" Warren came in. He was dressed in a suit and tie with his wings carefully tucked away. At their questioning looks, he shrugged. "I'm going to my Aunt Victoria's birthday. She's expecting me to fly in. On her helicopter."

"Uh-huh."

While they were speaking, they barely noticed that a sudden chill had crept into the room. But when Pyro said "Uh-huh" and his breath misted in front of him, they all gave a start. "Drake, what the hell are you doing?" he snapped.

They all watched in amazement as ice crystals formed on the walls and ceiling. The temperature kept getting colder and colder till even Bobby looked like he was shivering. "I'm not doing it!" he told them. They went out of the library and into the hallway. The floor was slippery with ice.

"What's going -?" Bobby never got to finish his question. A pulse of energy erupted from somewhere within the house and knocked them all off their feet. Pyro was the first to stand up, balancing carefully so he would not slip and fall down again.

"Any of you ever taken a ride in one of Magneto's force field bubbles?" he asked. They just looked at him. He shrugged. "Right. Well, that felt a lot like it when it popped."

"You don't think Magneto's back?" Peter transformed quickly into his battle mode. Warren sighed and began to undo his tie. Pyro was about to retort that it was impossible; Magneto had been rendered powerless, when the air suddenly crackled and hummed with a familiar energy.

And there was Rogue, floating towards them. She looked both exhilarated and terrified at what was happening. "I can't control it!" she cried out. "I don't know what's going on!"

Bobby approached her cautiously. He strained against the invisible barrier enveloping her. "Try to turn it off!" he shouted. She concentrated and he pushed. He kept pushing till he suddenly stumbled forward. The barrier was gone. Rogue fell to the floor. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Drake, don't touch her!" Pyro warned a little too late. As soon as Bobby's skin came into contact with Rogue's, her mutation was activated. It seemed to have grown more powerful and more ferocious. But Pyro moved quickly and he pulled Bobby away from her after just a few seconds. Bobby gasped desperately for breath.

There was that hum again as Rogue powered up once more with Magneto's abilities. She was still slumped on the floor and ice began to form _on _the energy field she was emitting. "Knock me out!" she suddenly shouted at them in a panic. "Maybe that'll stop it!" The ice was growing thicker by the second. Soon she would be enclosed completely within it.

"Peter!" Pyro called out. Colossus moved into action. He punched through the ice encasing Rogue and it shattered into several large chunks. Then he let out a shout of surprise as the magnetic field caught him. "Fuck!" Pyro cursed. "Rogue, turn it off again!" She tried but failed. Pyro and Warren attempted to pull Peter free with their combined strength but they couldn't make him budge an inch. By this time, Bobby could stand up again without shaking and he came to their aid.

The humming suddenly increased in volume. Electricity sparked across the energy field. "Shit! Everyone get down!" Pyro screamed. The field burst, sending out a stronger pulse of power compared to the previous one. They were knocked off their feet again but Peter, though, was flung right through several walls. However, he got up and went back into the fight before the others could even move.

"John, do something!" Bobby said. "Doesn't a magnet lose its power when it's heated?"

"Unless you've missed the whole point of this show and tell," Pyro retorted, "she's exhibiting all of the powers she has ever absorbed. She's got mine, too. So she can take anything I throw at her."

"She's got Peter!" Warren shouted.

They saw that Rogue had both her hands on Peter's face. She didn't look scared anymore as she absorbed his memories, his powers, all of him that she could take. They saw as the steel of Peter's skin seemed to turn into liquid and run into hers till she looked as cold and as hard as an idol. Then she let him drop to the floor. He didn't move. He didn't breathe.

"Rogue." Bobby stared at her like he had never seen her before. "What did you do?"

She started to walk towards him. "I'm sorry, Bobby," she said. Her hand reached out for him.

"No!" Pyro pushed him out of the way and tackled Rogue. She shrieked in anger and splayed the fingers of her right hand over his face while her left hand closed around his throat.

"Oh, God!" Bobby rushed to pull them apart but he was suddenly caught and held back in someone's strong grip. He saw that it was Wolverine. "Let me go! She's going to kill him!"

Storm had also appeared. A woman Bobby had never seen before was with her, and the two of them were supporting a man with a cane. When he looked into the man's eyes, he felt a sense of recognition.

"_Professor_?"

"We're too late!" the woman gasped. The man didn't reply. He looked at Rogue and Pyro who were still struggling against each other. Pyro wasn't giving up without a fight. "Forgive me," the man whispered. A power emanated from him. Rogue screamed once then she lost consciousness. Pyro collapsed, too.

Wolverine and Bobby both hurried to Rogue's side. Storm checked on Pyro while Warren tried to revive Peter. After several minutes, he gave up. His face looked ashen.

"You knew this was going to happen!" Storm accused the man. "You knew! Why didn't you come back before all of this?"

He had no answer for her.


	20. Chapter 20

I Remember You

As he welcomed her back, Kitty wondered why she had ever thought that this man was kind. He still had that deceptively gentle manner that made him familiar to her in spite of his strange new appearance, but she could clearly see now just how ruthless he truly was. He had made general inquiries about her parents' welfare and her activities during the year and a half she had been absent from the mansion, but he hadn't really listened to her answers. Once she had finished speaking, he had immediately set on convincing her to stay permanently and to rejoin the team. That was all he cared about. Perpetuating his legacy through his precious X-Men.

"I'm sorry I didn't come for the funeral," she interrupted his recruitment monologue, incidentally the very same one she had heard before.

"Oh." He blinked, surprised. "Oh, yes. Why didn't you?" he wondered.

"I just couldn't," she said in a low voice.

"I understand that you and Peter had been quite close. Of course you must have been devastated." He spoke the words automatically. He knew that was what he was expected to say. He always did know all the expected things to say.

"And I understand that you put Rogue in some kind of coma," she commented.

He sighed as if the reminder deeply grieved him. "I had no choice. It was the only way."

"Was it?"

"Kitty." He gave her a reproachful look.

"Please," she said, "don't try to explain. Let me just believe that." She stood up. "And, yes. I'll stay. I'll be on the team again. Because I do still have faith in what we're fighting for." She left the rest unsaid, but he understood her perfectly. He nodded.

She went to find Bobby. He was in the lower levels of the house. One of the rooms had been converted into a sort of intensive care unit. Rogue was its sole occupant. Bobby was watching over her.

He looked up when Kitty came in. "So, you're gonna be staying?" he asked in a hopeful tone.

"Yes." She nodded. "I'll be staying."

He smiled, but it wasn't like the old Bobby Drake smile she remembered. "Good."

"How is she?"

"The same." He shrugged. "She doesn't respond to anything, no matter what we do. But I know she's still in there. Sometimes, she cries."

"She cries?"

"Yeah. Those are the bad days." He lightly touched Rogue's hair. Kitty had never seen him look so sad. "I know it's all messed up. But it's still love, you know. I just can't give up on it."

She was quiet, and then she said, "I'm sorry, Bobby."

He suddenly laughed. It was a harsh, bitter sound. "Those were the last words she ever said to me."

She couldn't stand to be there anymore. She made some excuse about unpacking her bags then left. She just had to get away from that look on Bobby's face. She was almost running through the hallways back to her old room when she turned a corner and immediately crashed into someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

She gaped at the person she had bumped into. "_Pyro_?"

He studied her quizzically. "Excuse me?"

She got to her feet slowly. "You don't remember me, do you?" Bobby had told her what had happened to him. Rogue hadn't touched him long enough to kill him. But she had absorbed a great part of his powers and his memories. Kitty hadn't really believed that until now.

"Sorry," he smiled easily. "I was in some kind of an accident and I'm afraid that I don't really remember much of anything. Have we met before?"

She nodded, thinking that this was all very weird. "Yes. We have, actually."

"Oh. Well, why don't we start again?" He held out his hand. "I'm John."

Reluctantly, she shook it. "Kitty. I'm Kitty."

"Kitty," he repeated. "I like that." He smiled again. "Nice to meet you, Kitty."

She looked into his eyes then.

"Nice to meet you, John."

The End


End file.
